Pin and lock



June 26, 1945. v. H. HARBERT 2,379,296

PIN AND LOCK Filed Nov. 20, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 26, 1945 UNITED STATES PIN AND LOCK Victor II. Barber-t,Chicago, Ill., assignmto Illinois Railway Equipment Company, Chicago,

111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 20, 1944, SerialNo. 564,395

5 Claims.

My invention relates to a pin, whereby certain elements'are retained inplace, as for example brake pins in use on railroad cars, with the pinconstructed to receive a specially designed element whereby the pin,after insertion, is .lockedin place against accidental removal.

My improved means is designed to eliminate the dflmcuities at presentencountered, especially in connection with railroad carbrake pins, dueto the ineiiective methods employed for locking the pins in place. Thesepins as heretofore em+ ployed are provided with a head at one end withthe other or tail end oi the pin provided with a hole disposedtransversely therethrough to receive a small pin or cotter whose endsare spread, after insertion, to retain the cotter in place.

As a result of the constant vibration to which brake pins are subjecteda constant shearing ofl of the small pins or cotter-s has beenencountered, permitting the brake pins to work loose with frequentserious results. Then too, as a result of corrosion, the small pins orcotters were broken and lost. The difficulties mentioned have alsoresulted from carelessness on the part of workmen failing to properlyspread the ends of the cotter, thus allowing it to readily work out ofits hole in the end of the main pin.

In order to overcome these serious difliculties, I have devised a pinadapted to receive my improved locking element made to efiect a positivelooking relation with the pin and at the same time provide a wide orwasher-like bearing surface at the end of the pin whereby any wear willbe distributed over a greater area than could be aflorded by a small pinor substantially round cotter; a structure which will have no rotativeor other movement relative to the pin and hence will cause no wear ofthe pin, as, however, is the case with means as at present employed.

The objects and advantages of my invention will all be readily apparentfrom the following detailed description of the exempliflcation of theinvention as disclosed in the accompanying drawing, whereinifigure l isa perspective view of my improved D Figure 2 is a perspective view of myimproved pin locking means.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the tail end of the Pin and of the lockingmeans, with the tongue or the latter broken away, showing the relativepositions of the pin and locking means during initial application of thelatter to the pin.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the pin rotated ninety degrees fromits position in Figure 3 55 notes slightly above and the tongue 01 thelocking means bent into locking position. I

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the pin with the locking means appliedand in lockin position.

a In the particular exempliiication oi the invention, the pin it, ingeneral construction, is of the usual cylindrical type provided with theusual head I i at one end, while the other or tail end at apredetermined distance removed from the immedl late or distal end isprovided with an annular groove of predetermined depth as at it, and theend of the pin Iii, beyond said groove II, at two of the diametricallyopposite sides, is segmentally cut away to provide the two,substantially, flat l surfaces as indicated at l3, l3 inFigures i and 5;

while the other two diametrically opposite arcuate sides are of theoriginal pin diameter, thus presenting a pin section of somewhat oblongcrosssection (as shown in Figure 1) with two substan- 2 tially straightsides and two arcuate sides which latter provide shoulders H, H atopposite sides of the pin.

The lock member, as exemplified in the drawing, consists of arectangular plate i5 provided 2 with an opening l6, shown with twosubstantially straight side walls i1, i1 matching the substantiallystraight or flat sides I3, I 3 of the pin It.

This enables the plate It to receive or be placed on the end of the pinwhen the side walls I1, I!

of the opening l8 are arranged parallel with the flat sides l3, ii ofthe pin, allowing the plate to register with and to rotate in the groovel 2 of the pin. I a

As is apparent, by partially rotating the plate is or giving it aquarter turn, the straight sidesi1, I! of the opening l6 will be out ofregister with the flat or straight sides l3, j;- of the pin and will bealigned with the arcuate sides oi. the pin, where the major axis of thetail end of the pin is greater than the distance between the straightsides l1, ll of the opening IS in the lock member i5, and these straightsides therefore will eflect interlocking engagement with the shoulders14, it of the pin and prevent removal of the lock memher l5 while in therotated position mentioned.

In order to hold member IS in its rotated position and to maintain thelocked relation between member i5 and the pin ID, the lock member i5,made of relatively soft or bendable material, pret- 59 erably steel, ismade of sufllcient length beyond one end of the opening IE to permit theimperforate or extendedportion to be bent backward in the generaldirection of the opening to provide a pin engaging portion or tongue itwhich termithe plane of the lower or adjacent end of the pin receivingopening i I. Th tongue l8 initially isbent as shown in Figure 2 so as toprovide sufficient clearance for the tail end of the pin l duringassembly.

As is apparent from the drawing, in order to apply the lock member I! tothe pin, the plate or member I! must be positioned with the straightsides I! of the opening I parallel with the reduced or straight sidesII, II of the pin, as the distance between the arcuate ends of theopening it preferably is Just sufficient to receive the nonreduced ormajor diameter oi the end of the pin. The pin or the lock member orplate I! is then partially rotated on the pin, namely a quarter of aturn, thereby presenting one of the reduced sides I! o! the pin towardthe upturned tongue it, while at the same time permitting the tongue toclear the end of the pin.

It will, 01' course, be understood that the pin is first inserted intoits operative position, as for example shown in dotted lines in Figure5, before the lock member is applied. After the pin has been positionedand lock member II has been applied thereto, as previously described,the tongue i8, by means of a hammer-blow or otherwise is then forced orbent toward the main body of the lock member until the free straight endof the tongue i8 is in bearing contact with the adjacent cut-away orfiat side of the pin, thereby locking the pin and member againstrelative rotation and locking the pin against removal from its operativeposition, with the straight sides l1, I! of the lock-plate opening I 8held by the shoulders ll, formed by the groove or in the arcuate sidesof the pin which will prevent movement of the plate longitudinally ofthe pin in either direction.

The lock plate provides a wide washer like bearing surface for the endof the pin which will distribute the wear over a greater area than isafforded by the usual round pin or cottor, heretofore employed on brakepins.

As heretofore constructed, the tail end of the pin was provided with atransverse hole extending therethrough to receive a cotter pin forholding the main or brake pin in place.

In practice, especially where the main or holding pin was employed as abrake pin, the transverse hold through the pin, due to the constantvibration to which it was subiected, induced vibration and rotativemovement of the cotter which in turn caused wear of the hole in the mainpin and at the same time reduced the diameter of the cotter, with theresult that the latter soon sheared oif.

With my improved device, relative rotative movement between pin and lockmember, as well as vibration of the latter, are impossible and as isapparent, the more flange or tongue ID of the lock plate I is depressed,the greater or firmer will be its pin locking effect.

My improved lock device not only is easily applied but it also may bereadily removed by simply prying the flange or tongue ll outwardly outof bearing contact with the fiat side ll of the pin Ill.

The construction illustrated is believed to be the best embodiment ofthe invention, but certain modifications are possible without, however,departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

l. P device oi the character described comprising a pin provided with anannular groove at a distance removed from the pin-end and the portion ofthe pin intermediate the groove and the pin-end segmentally cut away ontwo opposite sides, in combination with a lock plate provided with anoblong opening matching the cross-sectional configuration of thepin-end. the plate being seatable and rotatable in said groove, theplate having a bendable tongue portion adapted to be bent into abuttingrelation with a cut-away side of the pin and thereby lock the plateagainst rogatison in the pin-groove.

device of the character described com ing the combination of a pinprovided wi tfh a groove at a distance removed from the pin-end and thepin portion intermediate the groove and the pin-end being diametricallyreduced transversely in one direction: and a lock plate provided with anopening matching the cross-sectional configuration of the pin-end topermit the latter to pass therethrough, said plate being seatable androtatable in said groove, the plate-being provided with a bendabletongue adapted to engage the reduced side of the pin and thereby lockthe plate in its rotated position on the pin.

3. A device of the character described comprising the combination of acylindrical pin provided with an annular groove at a distance removedfrom the pin-end, the pin intermediate the groove and its adjacent endat least on one of its sides being segmentally cut away to provide anon-circular face; and a lock plate provided with an opening matchingthe cross sectional configuration 01' the pin-end to permit the latterto pass therethrough, said plate being seatable and rotatable in saidgroove, the plate being provided with a bendable tongue adapted toengage the non-circular face or the pin and thereby lock the plate inits rotated position in the groove against roiatiaon.

device of the character described com rising the combination of a pinprovided with p rallelly arranged shoulders at a distance removed fromits end and the portion of the pin intermediate the shoulders andthe'end being diametrically reduced in one direction to provide asubstantially fiat side; and a lock plate provided with an openingformed to match the cross sectional configuration or the pin-end topermit the latter to pass therethrough so as to bring the walls 01' theopening into abutting relation with said shoulders and permit rotationof the plate about the pin, said plat having a bendable tongue disposedtoward said opening and adapted to be bent into engagement with the fiatside of the pin and thereby lock the plate in its rotated positionagainst said shoulders.

5. A device of the character described comprising the combination of acylindrical pin provided with a head at one end and an annular groove ata distance removed from the other end, the portion of the pinintermediate the groove and the adjacent end being segmentally cut awayat two opposite sides to provide substantially flat surfaces; and a flatlock plate provided intermediat its side edges with an elongated openinghaving arcuate ends and straight sides to match the cross sectionalconfiguration of the pin-end to enable the latter to pass therethroughand permit the plate to enter said groove and to rotate about the pin,one end of the plate being bent in the direction of said opening toprovide a bendable tongue adapted to engage one of the fiat surfaces onthe pin and thereby hold the plate in its ropin groove and lock theplate VICTOR H. HARBimT.

tated Position in the on the pin.

